Grate burner



E. R. M CLURE July 4, 1967 GRATE BURNER Filed July 30, 1965 INVENTOR. $250406 AWQM:

ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,329,141 GRATE BURNER Elson R. McClure, 1427 Carroll Lane, Paradise, Calif. 95969 Filed July 30, 1965, Ser. No. 475,991

' 14 Claims. (Cl. 126-182) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A grate burner consisting essentially of a stand adapted to be positioned within a drum, a vertical post carrying a plurality of spaced bearings, a plurality of agitators mounted for rotation and oscillation on the bearings, the agitators comprising concentric rings, heavy inclined angle irons mounted thereon and radial arms each carrying adjacent its extremity an angularly offset transverse angle iron section. The post is surmounted by a truncated cone consisting of a circular top plate, .a lower annular ring and sharply inclined angle iron members extending downwardly and outwardly from the plate to the ring. An air inlet is provided at the bottom of the device. As refuse inserted at the top is burned, the draft in combination with the resultant unequal weight causes oscillation and rotative movement of the agitators permitting burned and partly burned refuse to be randomly released from the upper to the lower portion of the drum.

This invention relates to grate burners, and more specifically to a device for facilitating and enhancing the burning of refuse in a drum or barrel.

One difficulty residing in the burning of refuse in a drum or barrel is that the material tends to agglomerate or cling together which reduces the efliciency of burning as is apparent when comparing the combustibility of a wooden plank and the sawdust or chips resulting from the disintegration thereof. Another disadvantage of burning refuse in a drum or barrel is that ash tends to accumulate on the upper surface of the burning material with the result that ash is carried upwardly out of the drum by the heated combustion products.

It is accordingly a primary object of the instant invention to provide a grate burner to preclude the agglomeration of refuse placed in a drum to be burned.

Another object of the instant invention is to provide a device for placement in a combustion chamber that constantly agitates the material therein thus allowing the gravitational settling of ash and the like.

Still another object of the instant invention is to provide a grate burner which is inexpensive to construct, which is long lasting and which requires little or no maintenance.

A further object of this invention is to provide a grate burner assembly that may be readily disassembled for packaging in a relatively small container.

A more specific object of the instant invention is to provide a grate burner having an upstanding post having a series of agitation means movably mounted thereon.

A still more specific object of the instant invention is to provide a grate burner having a central upstanding post mounting a series of rotatable and oscillatable agitation means thereon providing a central air passageway.

Other objects and advantages of the instant invention reside in the combinations of elements, arrangements of parts, and features of construction and operation, all as will be more fully pointed out hereinafter and disclosed in the accompanying drawing wherein there is shown a preferred embodiment of this inventive concept.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the grate "ice burner of the instant invention disposed in an open topped drum or barrel depicted in dotted lines;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of a central upstanding post providing means by which a plurality of agitation devices may be groupably mounted;

FIGURE 3 is a top air draft cone of the grate burner of FIGURE 1 as may be seen along line 3-3 when viewing in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view of the grate burner of the instant invention taken along line 44 of FIGURE 1 and viewing in the direction of the arrows; and

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view of the grate burner of FIGURE 1 taken along line 55 thereof, viewing in the direction of the arrows, and showing the base or supporting stand of the instant invention, certain parts being broken away for purposes of convenience.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, wherein like reference characters designate like elements throughout the several views thereof, there is indicated generally at 10 the grate burner of the instant invention positioned in a drum or barrel designated generally at 12 having the customary cylindrical wall 14 and bottom wall 16. Barrel 12 may be of any suitable type, but is conveniently a standard 55 gallon drum. Drum 12 may be supported on a plurality of bricks to position it a distance from an underlying surface and a cut-out or slot 18 may be cut in the lower portion of side wall 14 or may be cut in bottom wall 16 if barrel 12 is placed on bricks or the like.

Grate burner 10 has as its major components a stand shown generally at 20 carrying a plurality of concentric metallic rings 22, a vertical post shown generally at 24, a plurality of agitation and air draft means designated generally at 26, 28, 30 and a top air draft cone indicated generally at 32.

Stand 20 includes a first angle iron member 34 extending substantially throughout the diameter of drum 12 and carrying a depending support 36 at each end thereof having a foot or the like 38 resting on bottom wall 16 of drum 12. Secured horizontally perpendicularly to first angle iron member 34 are a pair of second angle iron members 40 carrying a depending support 42 on the end thereof having a foot or the like 44 substantially planar with feet 38 of first angle iron member 34.

As may be seen in FIGURE 5, second angle iron members 40 are spaced between the center and the ends of first angle iron member 34 but closely adjacent the center thereof with all of feet 38, 44 lying on a circumference taken about the center of first angle iron member 34. Concentric metallic rings 22 are secured, as by welding, to first and second angle iron members 34, 40 to provide a circular grate which will tend to preclude air inlet cut-out 18 from becoming unduly clogged.

First angle iron member 34 carries a short upstanding pin 46 which is received in a collar 48 of central upstanding post 24 with an enlarged bearing 50 providing a load supporting function. Mounted on the upper end of collar 48 is a first bearing 52 which is preferably a truncated sphere as shown in FIGURE 2 with a second smaller collar 54 extending upwardly from bearing 52. A second smaller bearing 56, which is also a truncated sphere, is secured to the upper end of collar 54 in alignment with collar 48 and bearing 52. A third still smaller collar 58 is secured to the upper end of bearing 56 and carries on the upper end thereof a still smaller bearing or truncated sphere 60. An elongated collar 62 extends upwardly from third bearing 60 and carries a still smaller truncated spherical bearing 64.

It will be seen that vertical post 24 provides a plurality of spaced apart bearings of increasing size from top to bottom connected by a plurality of collars which also increase in size from top to bottom. As more fully explained hereinafter, a plurality of agitation and air draft means 26, 28, 30 will be movably mounted on each of bearings 60, 56, 52. Agitation means 30 is provided with an enlarged bearing surface which will clear each of bearings 64, 60, 56 and come to rest on bearing 52 in rotatable oscillatable engagement therewith. Agitation means 28 includes a central bearing of a size suflicient to clear truncated spheres 64, 60 and which comes to rest in rotatable and oscillatable engagement with bearing 56. Agitation means 26 provides a central bearing of a sufficient size to clear bearing 64 and come to rest in rotatable and oscillatable engagement with bearing 60 with air draft cone 32 having a central bearing for receiving sphere 64.

Each of agitation means 26, 28, 38 provides a central air draft truncated cone shown generally at 66 including an upper plate 68 having a central opening 70 therein, the size of which depends upon the particular agitation means involved as previously mentioned. As illustrated in FIGURE 4, opening 70 in plate 68 is of a sufficient size to come to rest upon spherical bearing 60. Securing an annular ring 72 to plate 68 are a plurality of angle iron members 74 having the V thereof pointing downwardly and outwardly of central post 24.

It will be appreciated that air draft cones 60 of agitation means 26, 28, 30 provide a central air passageway with the downwardly pointing V configuration of angle iron member 74 providing the least possible air resistance. It will also be seen that the outwardly diverging nature of angle iron member 74 will disperse falling refuse from above away from central post 24 thus enhancing the air draft capabilities of burner grate 10.

Each of agitation means 26, 28, 30 is equipped with a plurality of radially extending angle iron members 76 secured to annular ring 72 with the V of angle iron member 76 pointing upwardly to direct falling refuw and the like downwardly within barrel 12 and precluding the hanging up of any such refuse on member 76. Any number of members 76 may be secured to annular ring 72, with three being preferred since it provides a balanced arrangement and does not substantially impede the gravitation of falling refuse or ash.

Secured as by welding to the outer end of each of angle iron members 76 is an upwardly inclined agitation arm 78 which facilitates the downward gravitational movement of refuse and the like by shaking or jarring material positioned thereabove. Each of agitation means 26, 30 has secured at the approximate junction of angle iron member 76 and agitation arm 78 an angle iron propelling means 80. Propelling and deflection means 80 are positioned on angle iron member 76 such that the upper end thereof is spaced further from the center of vertical post 24 than the inner end thereof with the V of angle iron 80 pointing upwardly. As may be seen in FIGURE 4, a line drawn from the lower end of angle iron 80 to the upper end thereof points generally in a counterclockwise direction with respect to vertical post 24.

Central agitation means 28 is provided with an angle iron propelling and deflection means 82 which is similarly placed at the approximate junction of angle iron member 76 and agitation arm 78 and has the upper end thereof spaced at a greater distance from central post 24 than the lower end thereof. The sole difference between angle iron propelling means 80 and 82 is that a line drawn from the lower end of angle iron 82 to the upper end thereof points generally in a clockwise direction. It will thus be seen that falling material contacting angle iron 82 will tend to rotate central agitation means 28 in a direction opposite from that of agitation means 26, 30.

Air deflection cone 32 is of a similar nature to air deflection cones 66 except that it is a more elongated truncated cone. Cone 32 includes a central plate 82 having a small aperture 84 therein for engagement with spherical bearing 64 with a plurality of angle iron members 86 connecting plate 82 and an annular ring 88. It should be noted that the V of angle iron members 86 points downwardly and toward central post 24 in a similar position to angle iron member 74. A distinct advantage of grate burner 10 resides in its ability to be disassembled and packaged in a relatively small container. It should be apparent that agitation means 26, 28, 30 may be removed from central post 24 and may nestle together with air draft cone 32 nestling on the top of air draft cones 66. Central post 24 may be removed from vertical pin 48 of base 20 such that all of the components may be conveniently packaged.

In the installation of grate burner 10 a suitable barrel or drum 12 will be selected and cut away as at 18 to provide an air inlet and ash exit means. Base 20 may be positioned in the bottom of drum 12 with the edges thereof spaced slightly from wall 14. Central post 24 may be received by pin 46 of base 20 with lower grate or agitation means 30 being first installed on post 24 in rotatable and oscillatable relationship with lower hearing 52.

Center agitation means 28 may be next received by shaft 24 and the downward movement thereof is halted by bearing 56. Upper agitation means 26 is received by post 24 and is received in rotatable and oscillatable engagement with spherical bearing 60 as may be seen in FIGURE 4. The final step of assembly is the positioning of air draft cone 32 on upper bearing 64 as shown in FIGURE 1.

A quantity of refuse, such as paper, leaves, yard trimmings or the like may be dumped within the open top of barrel 12. It will be seen that a considerable portion of the refuse placed in barrel 12 will remain above upper agitating means 26 but some of the smaller material may filter downwardly therethrough. The refuse positioned in drum 12 may be ignited in any suitable manner and will result in the in-rush of air through air inlet means 18 during combustion.

Since .air draft cone 32 and each of agitation means 26, 28, 30 is loosely mounted on bearings 64, 60, 56, 52, the gravitation of refuse from an upper position to a lower position will oscillate and rotate each of such members. This will effect a greater intermixture of refuse and combustion supporting air and increase the capacity of burner grate 10. It will be seen that the overlying nature of air draft cones 32, 66 will result in an increased flow of air through barrel 12 thus facilitating combustion which takes place primarily at the upper portion of barrel 12.

It should also be noted that upwardly inclined angle iron members 78, 80, 82 tend not only to agitate falling refuse thereby resulting in the rotation and oscillation of agitating means 26, 28, 30, but also act to direct some air flow outwardly of the center of burner grate 10 to aid combustion adjacent the edge of cylindrical wall 14.

It should be apparent that a fuel line, such as a natural gas line, may be inserted through air inlet 18 to provide a source of continuous flame for the combustion of refuse in which grate burner 10 will operate in substantially the same manner.

It is now seen that there is herein provided an improved grate burner having all of the advantages of this invention and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

Since many embodiments may be made of the instant inventive concept, and since many modifications may be made in the embodiment hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that the foregoing is to be interpreted merely as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A burner grate for insertion into a combustion chamber for agitating refuse therein comprising a base, 1

an upstanding member secured to said base providing a plurality of vertically spaced substantially spherical bearing means,

agitation means mounted on some of said bearing means having a central means forming an aperture slightly smaller than said spherical bearing means providing rotatable and oscillatable movement for said agitation means.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein each of said agitation means includes a plurality of arms extending away from said central plate.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein said bearing means of said upstanding member are progressively larger from top to bottom and said apertures of said agitation means vary in size to fit said progressively larger bearing means.

4. The structure of claim 3 wherein a collar connects adjacent spherical bearings, said collar being smaller than the lower of said adjacent bearings.

5. A burner grate for insertion into a combustion chamber for agitating refuse therein comprising a base having at least one frame member carrying a plurality of depending feet spacing said frame member from an underlying surface,

an upstanding substantially vertical post secured to said frame member of said base providing a plurality of vertically spaced substantially spherical bearing means agitation means mounted on each of said bearing means having an air draft truncated cone having a central plate forming an aperture slightly smaller than and overlying said spherical bearing means providing rotatable and oscillatable movement on said bearing means,

and a plurality of outwardly extending members secured to the periphery of said cone in equally spaced relation extending away from said periphery.

6. The structure of claim 5 including an air draft truncated cone mounted on an uppermost spherical bearing means.

7. The structure of claim 6 wherein said outwardly extending members form a common plane and an agitation arm extending in a direction away from said base.

8. The structure of claim 7 wherein said agitation arms are substantially extensions of said outwardly extending members.

9. The structure of claim 8 wherein at least some of said outwardly extending members carry a member having a first end and a second end substantially transverse to said outwardly extending members, said first end lying above said plane of said outwardly extending members, said second end lying below said plane.

10. The structure of claim 5 wherein said air draft truncated cone includes an annular ring of larger size than and positioned beneath said central plate, said plate and said ring being connected by a plurality of spaced apart braces, said outwardly extending members being secured to said annular ring.

11. The structure of claim 10 wherein said braces form a V in cross section, said V pointing toward said vertical post and said base.

12. The structurevof claim 5 wherein said outwardly extending members form a V in Cross section, said V pointing away from said base.

13. The structure of claim 5 wherein said bearing means of said upstanding post are progressively larger from top to bottom and said apertures of said agitation means vary in size to fit said progressively larger bearing means.

14. The structure of claim 13 wherein a collar connects adjacent spherical bearings, said collar being smaller than the larger of said adjacent bearings.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 703,865 7/1902 Walton 126-l70 1,711,131 4/1929 Thomas 126-182 X 3,259,084 7/1966 Hance -18 FOREIGN PATENTS 216,024 10/ 1927 Australia. 503,749 7/ 1930 Germany.

JAMES W. WESTHAVER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A BURNER GRATE FOR INSERTION INTO A COMBUSTION CHAMBER FOR AGITATING REFUSE THEREIN COMPRISING A BASE, AN UPSTANDING MEMBER SECURED TO SAID BASE PROVIDING A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY SPHERICAL BEARING MEANS, AGITATION MEANS MOUNTED ON SOME OF SAID BEARING MEANS HAVING A CENTRAL MEANS FORMING AN APERTURE SLIGHTLY SMALLER THAN SAID SPHERICAL BEARING MANS PROVIDING ROTATABLE AND OSCILLATABLE MOVEMENT FOR SAID AGITATION MENAS. 